Final Year Mental Health Nursing Students Cohort 11 from Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa’adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences (PAPRSB IHS), Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) took the initiative to conduct a community project focusing on mental health.
The team of five students comprised Nurfadhlin Najihah Haji Mohd Yussof, Mohd Hafiy Waqiuddin Haji Supry, Dk Al Umairah Pg Hj Asyura, Nur Aida Farhanah Haji Ade Suhardy, and Rahidah Ibrahim. They collaborated with Brunei Methanol Company Sdn Bhd (BMC) for the project entitled “Take-A-Break: Living In The New Normal (Post COVID-19): Looking After Your Mental Health”. The project is supervised by Dr Deeni Rudita Idris and Agong Lupat, both lecturers from UBD, and Iswandy Ahmad from BMC.
This project aims to raise awareness on the importance of mental health post COVID-19, as well as emphasising the significance of taking a break, a time for every individual’s to reflect on their mental health state and emotional awareness. Living in the new normal involves a lot of changes from the way we work and learn to the ways of controlling further transmission of the pandemic COVID-19, and this eventually results to individuals building up stress. When COVID-19 cases were on the rise in Brunei, staff were told to conduct ‘work from home’, and students experienced online learning from home as well. And now, as everyone has returned to their own offices and schools, there is a need for adjustment to the new norm; which can be stressful to some.
Through this project, the students have shared and disseminated useful tips and facts on ways to look after mental health, particularly post COVID-19. This was done by meeting and talking to the public at Bandarku Ceria in Bandar Seri Begawan on 23rd October and 13th November 2022 which were attended by the team as well as volunteers from both UBD and BMC. In addition, they made use of social media platforms such as Instagram (@takeabreak.bn) and Tiktok (@takeabreak_share_moments). The use of these digital platforms managed to attract more audiences especially from the youth of Brunei – the main target group for this project.
The team also showcased their project at Pro Chancellor Arts Centre, UBD during the “Mental Health Forum” organised by UBD on 22nd October 2022. As part of the project, a Short Video Competition was opened to all students and staff of UBD, in which the team received overwhelming response. The theme of the competition was “Living In The New Normal (Post COVID-19): Looking After Your Mental Health.”
A prize presentation ceremony for the competition was held at the Pro Chancellor Arts Centre, UBD on 15th December 2022. Kaneshige Kubushiro, Chief Executive Officer, BMC was the guest of honour at the ceremony, presenting the prizes to the winners. Also in attendance were UBD Assistant Vice Chancellor (Research) Associate Professor Dr Abby Tan, PAPRSB IHS Management Team, Senior Management of BMC, staff and students of UBD.
The first place winner, Umi Kalsum Hj Mislee, was awarded $650; second place, Nazatul Erna Natasha Aminuddin, won $500; and third place, Noorzawanah Jubli, won $350. Noor Angela Asyramisyanie Abdullah received $250 for “Most Favourite Video”, which was determined by the number of likes obtained through Instagram. A special category “Most Inspiring Video” was awarded to an international student from Indonesia, Putri Wulandari Yoyo who received $250.